Test Drive

• Test Driving The Waterman's Arms - excellent riverside dining in Barnes

  

  The Waterman's Arms is a riverside pub in Barnes with an excellent team behind it. We went for a lunch overlooking the Thames to try it out.  

• Test Driving Chalk restaurant at Wiston Estate - where everything from the produce to the wine is local

  

  On one of the largest pieces of family-owned land near the south coast, Wiston Estate has an extensive winery and a great restaurant in Chalk, which specialises in local Sussex produce. We took the train down for a day trip. 

• Test Driving Ibai - a stellar Basque steakhouse in the City

  

  Brilliant Basque food and great steaks a few minutes walk from Smithfield Market make Ibai worth crossing town for.

• Test Driving Ukiyo - hand rolls, sushi and sake on tap in Covent Garden

  

  Covent Garden gets a very useful little sushi spot with the opening of Japanese hand roll bar Ukiyo in The Yards.

• Test Driving Holy Carrot - inventive plant-based action in Notting Hill

  

  Holy Carrot used to be a supperclub but now it's become one of London's new breed of plant-based restaurants, with an Acme Fire Cult chef behind the menu. We went to see what he's cooking up.  

• Test Driving Koyn Thai - a Thai reinvention for the Mayfair restaurant

  

  Originally a Japanese restaurant of two halves, Koyn has changed its basement into a separate Thai restaurant. We went down to check out the brand new menu. 

• Test Driving Henri - Jackson Boxer recreates Paris in Covent Garden

  

  Jackson Boxer has taken over the restaurant at a Covent Garden hotel to create Henri, his own take on a Parisian Bistro. We went down to get a slice of France in the heart of London.

• Test Driving Los Mochis City - sushi and tacos against a high rise backdrop

  

  It's already one of the buzziest new openings in the City. We took the lift up to the rooftop at Los Mochis City to check out the scene for ourselves. 

• Test Driving Plates - GBM winner Kirk Haworth's plant-based restaurant is a deserved hit

  

  Great British Menu winner Kirk Haworth has teamed up with his sister Keeley for their first permanent Plates restaurant in Shoreditch and it's already a huge success, booked out for months in advance. We went down to the plant-based restaurant to see what the fuss was all about. 

• Test Driving The Hero - style and substance at this gorgeous Maida Vale pub

  

  The Pelican team have scored another huge success with the opening of The Hero in Maida Vale. We pulled up a chair for a pint and a pie to see what this gorgeous new pub has to offer. 

• Test Driving Tollington's - the Four Legs crew turn a chippy into a Spanish fish bar

  

  A fish and chip shop in Finsbury Park has been given a new lease of life with the arrival of the Four Legs team. We popped down to Tollington's to check out this North London chipper meets Spanish fish bar.

• Test Driving The Park - Jeremy King brings style to Bayswater

  

  After the success of Arlington, Jeremy King has brought a 21st-century grand café to Bayswater. We head down for an early look at The Park.  

• Test Driving The Counter Soho - a burst of Mediterranean hospitality in the heart of Carnaby

  

  Having already scored a hit in Notting Hill chef Kemal Demirasal has brought his Mediterranean and Levantine dishes to Carnaby. We went to check it out.

• Test Driving Kioku by Endo - the sushi master takes over the rooftop of The OWO with a spectacular restaurant

  

  Kioku by Endo has opened at the top of the spectacular building that's The OWO in Whitehall. We went up to the rooftop to see if Endo Kazutoshi is the one to open the hit that The OWO really needs.  

• Test Driving: Akira Back at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair - glamour in the heart of town

  

  Chef Akira Back is the man behind all the restaurants and bars at the new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair in London. We went to check out his first opening there.